قدْoften أشْهَدُI take part in الغارَةَthe raid الشّعْوَاءَfierce and sweeping تَحْمِلُنِيcarries me
قدْ أشْهَدُ الغارَةَ الشّعْوَاءَ تَحْمِلُنِي
جَرْدَاءُa smooth-coated mare مَعرُوقَةُlean-fleshed اللّحييَنِthe two jaws سُرْحُوبُlong-bodied
جَرْدَاءُ مَعرُوقَةُ اللّحييَنِ سُرْحُوبُ
Often I join a fierce, sweeping raid, carried by
a smooth-coated mare, lean at both jaws, long-bodied.
كَأنَّas though صاحِبهَاher owner إذْwhen قَامَhe rose يُلْجِمُهاhe bridles her
كَأنَّ صاحِبهَا إذْ قَامَ يُلْجِمُها
مَغْذٌa man hurrying علىover بَكْرَةٍa pulley زَوْرَاءَcrooked مَنْصُوبُstanding upright
مَغْذٌ على بَكْرَةٍ زَوْرَاءَ مَنْصُوبُ
As though her owner, when he rose to bridle her,
were a man hurrying over a crooked pulley, standing upright.
إذاwhen تَبَصّرَهاthey examine her الرَّاؤُونَthe onlookers مُقبِلَةًapproaching
إذا تَبَصّرَها الرَّاؤُونَ مُقبِلَةً
لاحتْappeared لَهُمْto them غُرَّةٌa white forehead-blaze مِنْهاon her وَتجْبِيبُand high white stockings
لاحتْ لَهُمْ غُرَّةٌ مِنْها وَتجْبِيبُ
When onlookers study her as she approaches,
her forehead-blaze and high white stockings appear to them.
وِقافُهاher standing still ضَرِمٌfiery وَجَرْيُهاand her gallop جَذِمٌswift
وِقافُها ضَرِمٌ وَجَرْيُها جَذِمٌ
وَلَحْمُهاand her flesh زِيَمٌin distinct masses والبَطْنُand the belly مَقْبُوبُtucked up
وَلَحْمُها زِيَمٌ والبَطْنُ مَقْبُوبُ
At rest she burns with ardor; her gallop is swift.
Her flesh lies in distinct masses, her belly tucked up.
وَاليَدٌand the foreleg سابِحَةٌswimming forward وَالرِّجْلُand the hindleg ضارِحَةٌkicking out
وَاليَدٌ سابِحَةٌ وَالرِّجْلُ ضارِحَةٌ
وَالعَيْنُand the eye قادِحةٌstriking sparks وَالمَتْنُand the back مَلْحُوبُlean
وَالعَيْنُ قادِحةٌ وَالمَتْنُ مَلْحُوبُ
Her foreleg swims forward, her hindleg kicks out;
her eye strikes sparks, her back is lean.
وَالمَاءُand the water (sweat) مُنْهَمِرٌpouring down وَالشَّدُّand the gallop مُنْحَدِرٌrushing downward
وَالمَاءُ مُنْهَمِرٌ وَالشَّدُّ مُنْحَدِرٌ
وَالقُصْبُand the gut مُضْطَمِرٌdrawn in وَاللَّونُand the color غِرْبِيبُraven-black
وَالقُصْبُ مُضْطَمِرٌ وَاللَّونُ غِرْبِيبُ
Her sweat pours down, her gallop rushes headlong;
her gut is drawn tight, her color raven-black.
كَأنّهاas though she حِينَwhen فاضَoverflowed الماءُthe water (sweat) وَاحْتَفَلَتْand she mustered her strength
كَأنّها حِينَ فاضَ الماءُ وَاحْتَفَلَتْ
صَقْعاءُa white-headed eagle لاحَappeared لَهاto her فيon المَرْقَبِthe lookout الذِّيبُthe wolf
صَقْعاءُ لاحَ لَها في المَرْقَبِ الذِّيبُ
As her sweat overflowed and she mustered her strength, she seemed
a white-headed eagle to whom, on her lookout, a wolf appeared.
فأَبْصَرَتْthen she saw شَخْصَهُhis shape مِنfrom فَوْقِatop مَرْقَبَةٍa lookout
فأَبْصَرَتْ شَخْصَهُ مِن فَوْقِ مَرْقَبَةٍ
ودُونَand between مَوْقِعِهاher position مِنْهُfrom him شَنَاخِيبُtowering crags
ودُونَ مَوْقِعِها مِنْهُ شَنَاخِيبُ
Then she saw his shape from atop a lookout,
and towering crags lay between her perch and him.
فَأقْبلَتْthen she came نَحوَهُtoward him فيin الجَوِّthe air كاسِرَةًfolding her wings
فَأقْبلَتْ نَحوَهُ في الجَوِّ كاسِرَةً
يَحُثُّهاurges her on مِنْfrom هُوِيِّthe downward rush of الرِّيحِthe wind تَصْوِيبُa downward plunge
يَحُثُّها مِنْ هُوِيِّ الرِّيحِ تَصْوِيبُ
She came toward him through the air, folding her wings,
a downward plunge on the rushing wind driving her on.
صُبَّتْshe was poured down عَلَيْهِupon him وماand not تنْصَبُّshe plunges مِنْfrom أُمَمٍnearness
صُبَّتْ عَلَيْهِ وما تنْصَبُّ مِنْ أُمَمٍ
إنَّindeed الشَّقَاءَmisery علىupon الأشْقَيْنِthe most ill-fated مَصْبُوبُpoured down
إنَّ الشَّقَاءَ على الأشْقَيْنِ مَصْبُوبُ
She poured down upon him, not plunging from nearby;
misery is surely poured upon the most ill-fated.
كالدَّلْوِlike a bucket ثَبْتٌfirm عُرَاهَاits handle-loops وهْيَwhile it is مُثْقَلَةٌheavily laden
كالدَّلْوِ ثَبْتٌ عُرَاهَا وهْيَ مُثْقَلَةٌ
إذْwhen خَانَهاfailed it وذَّمٌleather straps منْهَاof it وتَكْرِيبُand rope lashings
إذْ خَانَها وذَّمٌ منْهَا وتَكْرِيبُ
Like a heavily laden bucket with firmly fixed handles,
when its leather straps and rope lashings fail it.
لاnot كالَّتيlike her who فيin هَواءِthe air of الجَوِّthe sky طّالِبَةًpursuing
لا كالَّتي في هَواءِ الجَوِّ طّالِبَةً
ولاnor كَهَذَاlike this one الّذِيwho فيon الأرْضِthe earth مَطلوبُpursued
ولا كَهَذَا الّذِي في الأرْضِ مَطلوبُ
None is like her, pursuing in the open air,
nor like this one, pursued upon the earth.
كالْبَزِّlike cloth والرَّيْحِand the wind فيin مَرْآهُماthe sight of them both عَجَبٌa wonder
كالْبَزِّ والرَّيْحِ في مَرْآهُما عَجَبٌ
مَاthere is no فيin اجْتِهَادٍstrenuous effort علىwith الإصْرَارِpersistence تَعْييبُblame
مَا في اجْتِهَادٍ على الإصْرَارِ تَعْييبُ
Like cloth and wind, the sight of them is wondrous;
no blame lies in striving with persistence.
فأدْرَكَتْهُthen she overtook him فَنالَتْهُthen they struck him مَخَالِبُهَاher talons
فأدْرَكَتْهُ فَنالَتْهُ مَخَالِبُهَا
فَانْسَلَّthen he slipped away مِنfrom تحْتِهاbeneath her والدَّفُّand the flank مَعْقُوبُclaw-marked
فَانْسَلَّ مِن تحْتِها والدَّفُّ مَعْقُوبُ
She overtook him, and her talons struck him;
he slipped from beneath her, his flank claw-marked.
يَلوذُhe takes refuge بِالصَّخْرِamong the rocks مِنْهَاfrom her بَعْدَafter مَاthat فَتَرَتْsubsided
يَلوذُ بِالصَّخْرِ مِنْهَا بَعْدَ مَا فَتَرَتْ
مِنْهاfrom her ومِنْهُand from him علىupon الصَّخْرِthe rocks الشَّآبِيبُshowers
مِنْها ومِنْهُ على الصَّخْرِ الشَّآبِيبُ
He shelters from her among the rocks, after the waning
of showers from her and him upon the rocks.
ثمَّthen اسْتغَاثَتْshe sought help بمَتنِfrom the surface of الأرضِthe earth تَعْفِرُهُshe covers it with dust
ثمَّ اسْتغَاثَتْ بمَتنِ الأرضِ تَعْفِرُهُ
وبِاللِّسانand with the tongue وبِالشِّدْقَيْنِand with both sides of the mouth تَتْرِيبُdust-smearing
وبِاللِّسان وبِالشِّدْقَيْنِ تَتْرِيبُ
Then she sought relief on the ground, churning its dust,
stirring dust with her tongue and both sides of her mouth.
فأخطَأتْهُthen missed him المَنَايَاdeath-dealing fates قِيسَthe measure of أُنْمُلَةٍa fingertip
فأخطَأتْهُ المَنَايَا قِيسَ أُنْمُلَةٍ
ولاand not تَحَرَّزَhe secured himself إلاexcept وهْوَwhile he was مَكْتُوبُpredestined
ولا تَحَرَّزَ إلا وهْوَ مَكْتُوبُ
Then death missed him by a fingertip's breadth;
he gained safety only as it had been decreed.
يَظَلُّhe remains مُنْحَجِراًholed up منْهَاfrom her يُراقِبُهَاhe watches her
يَظَلُّ مُنْحَجِراً منْهَا يُراقِبُهَا
ويَرْقَبُand he awaits اللَّيْلَthe night إنّindeed اللّيْلَthe night مَحْجُوبُshrouded
ويَرْقَبُ اللَّيْلَ إنّ اللّيْلَ مَحْجُوبُ
He stays holed up away from her, watching her,
and awaits the night, for the night is shrouded.
والخَيرُand good fortune مَاas long as طَلَعَتْrose شَمسٌa sun وماand as long as غَرَبَتْset
والخَيرُ مَا طَلَعَتْ شَمسٌ وما غَرَبَتْ
مُطَلَّبٌeagerly sought بِنَواصيto the forelocks of الخَيْلِhorses مَعْصُوبُbound
مُطَلَّبٌ بِنَواصي الخَيْلِ مَعْصُوبُ
And good fortune, as long as the sun rises and sets,
is eagerly sought, bound to the forelocks of horses.
Sol 6.1